Multi-SIM device and operation method thereof

ABSTRACT

A multi-subscriber identification module (SIM) device includes: a first SIM configured to use a service of a first network; a second SIM configured to use a service of a second network; a first RF resource configured to support use of non-limited channel configuration according to a radio resource control (RRC) protocol; a second RF resource configured to support use of limited channel configuration according to the RRC protocol; and a baseband processor configured to selectively assign any one of the first RF resource and the second RF resource to the first SIM and the second SIM, based on information regarding the first network and the second network.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No.10-2018-0127689, filed on Oct. 24, 2018, in the Korean IntellectualProperty Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated by referenceherein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

The present disclosure relates to a multi-subscriber identity module(SIM) device including radio frequency (RF) resources assigned to SIMsand managing the assignment of the RF resources, and a method ofoperating the multi-SIM device.

2. Description of Related Art

Multi-SIM devices such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants(PDAs), tablet computers, and laptops may include at least two SIMcards. Each SIM card may include a unique international mobilesubscriber identity (IMSI) and key information that allows a user of themulti-SIM device to be identified and authenticated by a serviceprovider. The multi-SIM devices may enable users to access variousnetworks by using the SIMs.

When a multi-SIM device is a dual SIM dual standby (DSDS) device,multiple SIMs share one RF resource, and thus, when request intervalsfor RF resource use of the SIMs overlap each other, the communicationperformance of the multi-SIM device deteriorates due to the SIMs towhich RF resources are not assigned. Also, when the multi-SIM device isa dual SIM dual active (DSDA) device, plural RF resources are providedand are respectively assigned to the SIMs, and thus, the communicationperformance of the DSDA multi-SIM device is better when the multi-SIMdevice is a DSDS device. However, hardware and software specificationsare great, and thus, manufacturing costs of the DSDA multi-SIM deviceand an amount of power consumed by the DSDA multi-SIM device greatlyincrease.

SUMMARY

It is an aspect to provide a multi-subscriber identity module (SIM)device including RF resources, which are used to provide bettercommunication performance than a dual SIM dual standby (DSDS) device andreduce costs and power consumption compared to a dual SIM dual active(DSDA) device, and which more effectively assign the RF resources toSIMs, and a method of operating the multi-SIM device.

According to an aspect of an embodiment, there is provided a multi-SIMdevice including a first SIM configured to use a first service of afirst network; a second SIM configured to use a second service of asecond network; a first radio frequency (RF) resource configured tosupport use of a non-limited channel configuration according to a radioresource control (RRC) protocol; a second RF resource configured tosupport use of a limited channel configuration according to the RRCprotocol; and a baseband processor configured to selectively assign thefirst RF resource and the second RF resource to the first SIM and thesecond SIM, based on information regarding the first network and thesecond network.

According to another aspect of an embodiment, there is provided amulti-SIM device including a plurality of SIMs; a plurality of radiofrequency (RF) resources assigned to the plurality of SIMs, a firstportion of the plurality of RF resources supporting use of a non-limitedchannel configuration and a second portion of the plurality of RFresources supporting use of a limited channel configuration according toa radio resource control (RRC) protocol; and a baseband processorconfigured to, in response to RF resource use request intervals of atleast two target SIMs among the plurality of SIMs overlapping eachother, control the plurality of RF resources to support the use of thenon-limited channel configuration for one of the at least two targetSIMs and to support the use of the limited channel configuration for theother of the at least two target SIMs, based on information regardingnetworks respectively corresponding to the at least two target SIMs.

According to another aspect of an embodiment, there is provided a methodof operating a multi-SIM device including a first SIM and a second SIM,the method including generating, by using the first SIM, a radiofrequency (RF) resource request; determining whether it is possible toset a dual radio (DR) mode in which use of a non-limited channelconfiguration and use of a limited channel configuration aresimultaneously supported, based on first information regarding a firstnetwork corresponding to the first SIM and second information regardinga second network corresponding to the second SIM; and selectivelyassigning a first RF resource supporting the use of the non-limitedchannel configuration and a second RF resource supporting the use of thelimited channel configuration to the first SIM and the second SIM, basedon a result of the determining.

According to another aspect of an embodiment, there is provided amulti-subscriber identification module (SIM) device comprising a firstradio frequency (RF) resource configured to support use of a non-limitedchannel configuration according to a radio resource control (RRC)protocol; a second RF resource configured to support use of a limitedchannel configuration according to the RRC protocol; and a basebandprocessor configured to communicate with a first network and a secondnetwork based on information stored in a first SIM and a second SIMusing the first RF resource and the second RF resource, wherein thebaseband processor operates the multi-SIM device in a dual SIM dualstandby (DSDS) mode, except in response to a first RF resource useinterval of the first SIM overlapping with a second RF resource useinterval of the second SIM.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments will be more clearly understood from the following detaileddescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a wireless communication system including amulti-subscriber identity module (SIM) device and base stations,according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing in detail a baseband processor and amemory of the wireless communication system of FIG. 1, according to anembodiment;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a method of updatingnetwork-related information in the memory of FIG. 2, according to anembodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a method of assigning a first RFresource and a second RF resource of the baseband processor of FIG. 2,according to an embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing in detail an operation S110 in the methodof FIG. 4, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a multi-SIM device for explaining anoperation S112 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a table for explaining a method of setting a main SIM and asub-SIM, according to an embodiment;

FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams for explaining in detail a method ofsetting a main SIM and a sub-SIM, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining operations of a multi-SIM device,according to an embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining an operation of maintaining a dualradio (DR) mode, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining in detail operation S220 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a block diagram for explaining in detail structures of afirst RF resource and a second RF resource, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a multi-SIM device according to anembodiment;

FIG. 14 is a block diagram of an electronic device according to anembodiment; and

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing communication devices performing anoperation of determining transmission/reception beam patterns, accordingto an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A base station communicates with a terminal and assigns communicationnetwork resources to the terminal. The base station may be at least oneof a cell, a base station (BS), a NodeB (NB), an eNodeB (eNB), a nextgeneration radio access network (NG RAN), a wireless connection unit, abase station controller, and a node on a network.

A multi-subscriber identity module (SIM) device communicates with a basestation or other multi-SIM devices and may be referred to as a node,user equipment (UE), next generation UE (NG UE), a mobile station (MS),mobile Equipment (ME), a device, a terminal, or the like.

The multi-SIM device may include at least one of a smart phone, a tabletpersonal computer (PC), a mobile phone, a video phone, an e-book reader,a desktop computer, a laptop, a netbook computer, a personal digitalassistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), an MP3 player,medical equipment, a camera, and a wearable device. In addition, themulti-SIM device may include at least one of a television (TV), adigital video disk (DVD) player, an audio system, a refrigerator, an airconditioner, a vacuum cleaner, an oven, a microwave, a washing machine,an air purifier, a set-top box, a home automation control panel, asecurity control panel, a media box (e.g., Samsung HomeSync™, Apple TV™,Google TV™, etc.), a game console (e.g., Xbox™, PlayStation™, etc.), anelectronic dictionary, an electronic key, a camcorder, and an electronicframe. Furthermore, the multi-SIM device may include at least one ofvarious medical devices (e.g., various portable medical measuringdevices (a blood sugar measuring device, a heartbeat measuring device, ablood pressure measuring device, a temperature measuring device, and thelike), magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), magnetic resonance imaging(MRI), computed tomography (CT), a camera, an ultrasonic device, etc.),a navigation device, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), anevent data recorder (EDR), a flight data recorder (FDR), an in-carinfotainment device, a marine electronic device (e.g., a marine GPSsystem, a gyrocompass, etc.), avionics, a security device, a vehiclehead unit, an industrial or domestic robot, a drone, an automated tellermachine (ATM) of a financial institution, a point of sales (POS) of ashop, and an Internet of Things (IoT) device (e.g., a bulb, varioussensors, a sprinkler, a fire alarm, a temperature controller, a streetlamp, a toaster, sports equipment, a hot water tank, a heater, a boiler,etc.). The multi-SIM device may include various types of multimediasystems capable of performing communication functions.

Hereinafter, one or more embodiments will be described in detail withreference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a wireless communication system. Thewireless communication system 1 includes a multi-SIM device 100 and afirst base station 10 and a second base station 20, according to anembodiment. As a non-limiting example, the wireless communication system1 may be a 5^(th) generation (5G) wireless system, a Long Term Evolution(LTE) system, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, a WidebandCode Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, a Global System for MobileCommunications (GSM) system, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)system, or other arbitrary wireless communication systems. The multi-SIMdevice 100 may be connected to certain wireless communication networksthrough the first base station 10 and the second base station 20, andinformation may be transmitted from the wireless communication networksin multiple access manners such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA),Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Frequency DivisionMultiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), OrthogonalFrequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), Single Carrier FrequencyDivision Multiple Access (SC-FDMA), OFDM-FDMA, OFDM-TDMA, and OFDM-CDMA.In this case, the multi-SIM device 100 and the first base station 10 andthe second base station 20 may communicate with each other and mayreceive/transmit signals (or data) through various channels. In thepresent specification, reception/transmission of signals (or data)through channels may be described as reception/transmission of channels.Also, for convenience, communication between a baseband processor 110and the first base station 10 and the second base station 20 by using afirst SIM 120_1 and a second SIM 120_2 may be described as communicationbetween the first and second SIMs 120_1 and 120_2 and the first basestation 10 and the second base station 20. In other words, when suchdescription is used, it will be understood that the baseband processor110 is communicating with the first base station 10 and the second basestation 20.

Referring to FIG. 1, the multi-SIM device 100 may include the basebandprocessor 110, the first SIM 120_1, the second SIM 120_2, and a memory130. The first SIM 120_1 is to use a first network service and may beconnected to a first network through the first base station 10. Thesecond SIM 120_2 is to use a second network service and may be connectedto a second network through the second base station 20.

The baseband processor 110 may include a first radio frequency (RF)resource 112_1 and a second RF resource 112_2. The first and second RFresources 112_1 and 112_2 may include tangible or intangible resourcesused to process circuits and paths for receiving channels from the firstbase station 10 and the second base station 20 or transmission/receptionchannels. Hereinafter, a case where the first and second RF resources112_1 and 112_2 are used to receive channels will be mainly described,but this is merely an example. The embodiments are not limited thereto,and it will be understood that the first and second RF resources 112_1and 112_2 may be used to transmit channels.

In an embodiment, the first RF resource 112_1 may support the use of anon-limited channel configuration according to a Radio Resource Control(RRC) protocol, and the second RF resource 112_2 may support the use ofa limited channel configuration according to the RRC protocol. Indetail, the first RF resource 112_1 may support processing channels thata certain SIM handles to maintain a network connection mode and channelshandled in an idle mode. The second RF resource 112_2 may only supportprocessing channels that a certain SIM handles in the idle mode. Also,the channels that the SIM handles in the idle mode may have a periodiccharacteristic and may include scheduling information notifyingtransmission timings of the channels. For example, when the wirelesscommunication system 1 is a WCDMA system, channels that the SIM handlesto maintain the network connection mode may be a Dedicated Channel(DCH), a Forward Access Channel (FACH), a Random Access Channel (RACH),a Broadcast Channel (BCH), a Paging Channel (PCH), and the like. Thechannels that the SIM handles in the idle mode may be defined as the BCHand the PCH. Furthermore, when the wireless communication system 1 isthe LTE system, the channels that the SIM handles to maintain thenetwork connection mode may be a Downlink Shared Channel (DL-SCH), aMulticast Channel (MCH), a BCH, a PCH, and the like, and the channelsthat the SIM handles in the idle mode may be a Multicast Channel (MCH),a BCH, and a PCH.

As described, since the first RF resource 112_1 has to supportprocessing more types of channels than the second RF resource 112_2, astructure of the first RF resource 112_1 may differ from that of thesecond RF resource 112_2. In detail, the complexity of the structure ofthe first RF resource 112_1 may be greater than the complexity of thesecond RF resource 112_2.

The first SIM 120_1 may receive at least one first channel 12 to use thefirst network service, and the second SIM 120_2 may receive at least onesecond channel 22 to use a second network service. In this case, thefirst SIM 120_1 and the second SIM 120_2 use RF resources to process thefirst channel 12 and the second channel 22, and in this case, thebaseband processor 110 may selectively assign any one of the first RFresource 112_1 and the second RF resource 112_2 to the first SIM 120_1and the second SIM 120_2, based on information regarding the firstnetwork and the second network.

In an embodiment, the multi-SIM device 100 may operate in a dual radio(DR) mode or a dual SIM dual standby (DSDS) mode during the resourceassignment. The DR mode denotes an operation mode in which the first RFresource 112_1 and the second RF resource 112_2 may be respectivelyassigned to the first and second SIMs 120_1 and 120_2 and acommunication operation is performed by using the first and second RFresources 112_1 and 112_2. The baseband processor 110 may make adetermination as to whether the multi-SIM device 100 operates in the DRmode, based on the information regarding the first network and thesecond network.

When it is determined that the multi-SIM device 100 is operable in theDR mode, the baseband processor 110 may set any one of the first SIM120_1 and the second SIM 120_2 as a main SIM and the other thereof as asub-SIM and then may assign the main SIM to the first RF resource 112_1and the sub-SIM to the second RF resource 112_2. A method in which thebaseband processor 110 sets the main SIM and the sub-SIM will bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 7 to 8B. For example, when the firstSIM 120_1 is set as the main SIM and the second SIM 120_2 is set as thesub-SIM, the first SIM 120_1 may perform an operation in a connectionmode with the first network or in the idle mode by processing the firstchannel 12 received from the first base station 10 by using the first RFresource 112_1. The second SIM 120_2 may perform an operation in theidle mode by processing the second channel 22 received from the secondbase station 20 by using the second RF resource 112_2. The operation inthe connection mode may include operation of actively exchanging data(e.g., voice or data calls or sessions) with at least one base stationin the wireless communication system 1, and the operation in the idlemode may include an operation of monitoring a channel (e.g., a PCH or aBCH) having periodic characteristics. In some embodiments, the operationin the idle mode may include only an operation of monitoring the channelhaving periodic characteristics.

The multi-SIM device 100 according to an embodiment may operate in theDR mode when RF resource use request intervals of the first and secondSIMs 120_1 and 120_2 overlap each other and may respectively assign thefirst RF resource 112_1 and the second RF resource 112_2 to the firstand second SIMs 120_1 and 120_2, thereby performing a communicationoperation by using the first and second SIMs 120_1 and 120_2. In thiscase, the second RF resource 112_2 that has low manufacturing costs andpower consumption is utilized in the DR mode, and thus, thecommunication performance equal to greater than a threshold level may besecured.

When it is determined that the multi-SIM device 100 is not operable inthe DR mode, the baseband processor 110 may assign the first RF resource112_1 to any one of the first SIM 120_1 and the second SIM 120_2 and maycontrol a selected one of the first SIM 120_1 and the second SIM 120_2to operate in the DSDS mode. Furthermore, the multi-SIM device 100 mayoperate in the DSDS as a legacy mode, and under certain conditions to bedescribed below in detail, the multi-SIM device 100 may operate in theDR mode.

The information regarding the first network and the second network,which is used to determine whether the multi-SIM device 100 is operablein the DR mode and set the main SIM and the sub-SIM, may includeinformation regarding at least one first channel 12 between the firstnetwork and the first SIM 120_1 and information regarding at least onesecond channel 22 between the second network and the second SIM 120_2.That is, the information regarding the first channel 12 may includefirst channel configuration information indicating a type of the firstchannel 12, and when the first channel 12 is a channel having periodiccharacteristics, the information regarding the first channel 12 mayinclude first scheduling information regarding the first channel 12.Also, the information regarding the second channel 22 may include secondchannel configuration information indicating a type of the secondchannel 22, and when the second channel 22 is a channel having periodiccharacteristics, the information regarding the second channel 22 mayinclude second scheduling information regarding the second channel 22.

The memory 130 may store the information regarding the first network andthe information regarding the second network, and whenever theinformation regarding the first network and the information regardingthe second network are updated, the memory 130 may store the updatedinformation regarding the first network and the second network. Thebaseband processor 110 may access the memory 130 and read theinformation regarding the first network and the information regardingthe second network, thus performing operations according to one or moreembodiments.

FIG. 1 shows that the multi-SIM device 100 includes two SIMs, that is,the first and second SIMs 120_1 and 120_2, and the baseband processor110 includes two RF resources, that is, the first and second RFresources 112_1 and 112_2. However, the multi-SIM device 100 may includemore SIMs and more RF resources. It will be understood that one or moreembodiments below may be applied to a multi-SIM device including threeor more SIMs and/or three or more RF resources.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing in detail the baseband processor 110according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 2, the baseband processor 110 may include the first RFresource 112_1, the second RF resource 112_2, a DR/DSDS mode controlmodule 114, and a RF resource manager 116. As described above, the firstRF resource 112_1 may support the use of a non-limited channelconfiguration, and the second RF resource 112_2 may support the use of alimited channel configuration.

The DR/DSDS mode control module 114 may read network-related information132 stored in the memory 130 and may determine whether the multi-SIMdevice is operable in the DR mode. The DR/DSDS mode control module 114may control the multi-SIM device to operate in the DR mode or to operatein the DSDS mode or maintain the DSDS mode, according to a determinationresult. A detailed embodiment regarding a method of setting the DR modeand the DSDS mode will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

When the multi-SIM device is operable in the DR mode, the RF resourcemanager 116 may set any one of the first SIM 120_1 and the second SIM120_2 as a main SIM and assign the first RF resource 112_1 thereto andmay set the other thereof as a sub-SIM and assign the second RF resource112_2 thereto, based on the network-related information. A detailedembodiment regarding a method of assigning the first and second RFresources 112_1 and 112_2 to the first and second SIMs 120_1 and 120_2in the DR mode will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 7 and8B.

The memory 130 may store therein the network-related information 132including the information regarding the first network corresponding tothe first SIM 120_1, and the information regarding the second networkcorresponding to the second SIM 120_2. The information regarding thefirst network may be generated based on at least one first channel thatthe first SIM 120_1 receives from the first network, and the informationregarding the second network may be generated based on at least onesecond channel that the second SIM 120_2 receives from the secondnetwork.

Whenever the information regarding the first network of the first SIM120_1 and the information regarding the second network of the second SIM120_2 are updated, the network-related information 132 may be updated,and a detailed embodiment thereof will be described with reference toFIG. 3.

In an embodiment, the DR/DSDS mode control module 114 and the RFresource manager 116 may be realized as hardware logics in the basebandprocessor 110. In another embodiment, the DR/DSDS mode control module114 and the RF resource manager 116 may be stored in the memory 130 ascommand codes and realized as software logics executed by the basebandprocessor 110. However, these embodiments are merely examples, and theinventive concept is not limited thereto. The first and second RFresources 112_1 and 112_2, the DR/DSDS mode control module 114, and theRF resource manager 116 may be realized as various types of logics.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method of updating the network-relatedinformation 132 of FIG. 2, according to an embodiment. Hereinafter, theembodiment of FIG. 3 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 forunderstanding.

Referring to FIG. 3, in operation S10, whenever a channel configurationis made, channel configuration information may be updated. For example,whenever a channel configuration of one or more SIMs of the multi-SIMdevice is made, channel configuration information may be updated. Also,the multi-SIM device may store the updated channel configurationinformation in the memory of the multi-SIM device to later determinewhether the multi-SIM device is operable in the DR mode and assign RFresources. A description that the channel configuration of an SIM ismade may mean that channels received from a network corresponding to theSIM are changed or newly added. For example, channels received from thefirst network may be changed, and a new assignment of RF resources maybe performed for the first SIM 120_1 to enable channel configuration ofthe changed channels, to process the changed channels. The first SIM120_1 may update the channel configuration information and store theupdated channel configuration information in the memory 130. Asdescribed above, the channel configuration information may indicatetypes of channels. For example, the updated channel configurationinformation may indicate types of new channels received from thenetwork.

In operation S11, scheduling information may be updated. For example, insome embodiments, scheduling information regarding channels of each SIMof the multi-SIM device which have periodic characteristics may beupdated. Also, the multi-SIM device may store the updated schedulinginformation in the memory of the multi-SIM device to later determinewhether the multi-SIM device is operable in the DR mode and assign RFresources. For example, as an operation in the idle mode, a state of theSIM may be changed from a sleep state to a wake-up state in a certaininterval, and the SIM may receive PCH (or a paging message) or a BCH andthen be switched to be in the sleep state. Immediately before the SIM isswitched to the sleep state, scheduling information regarding a certaininterval in which the SIM has to be in the wake-up state to receive anext PCH or a BCH (e.g., information regarding a timing when the stateof the SIM is changed to a next wake-up state or a timing when thewake-up state has to be maintained) may be updated.

Furthermore, the multi-SIM device may update frequency band informationregarding channels received by each SIM and may update intensityinformation regarding a reference signal received by each SIM. Themulti-SIM device may determine whether the DR mode is available based onthe frequency band information, and a detailed embodiment thereof willbe described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. Also, the multi-SIM devicemay perform base station (or a cell) reselection, a handover operation,and the like in the idle mode, based on reference signal intensityinformation. The embodiment is merely an example, and one or moreembodiments are not limited thereto. The multi-SIM device may collectmore types of information to effectively assign RF resources supportingthe use of non-limited channel configuration and RF resources supportingthe use of limited channel configuration respectively to SIMs, and mayupdate the collected information.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a method of assigning the first RFresource 112_1 and the second RF resource 112_2 of FIG. 2, according toan embodiment. Hereinafter, the embodiment of FIG. 4 will be describedwith reference to FIG. 2.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, in operation S100, the baseband processor110 may receive a RF resource request from the first SIM 120_1. That is,the first SIM 120_1 may request RF resources to process a certainchannel received from the first network. In operation S110, in responseto the RF resource request, the DR/DSDS mode control module 114 maydetermine whether it is possible to set the DR mode, based on thenetwork-related information 132. When it is possible to set the DR mode(operation S110, Yes), the DR/DSDS mode control module 114 may set themulti-SIM device to be in the DR mode in operation S120, and the RFresource manager 116 may set the first SIM 120_1 as the main SIM and thesecond SIM 120_2 as the sub-SIM based on the network-related information132 and then may assign the first RF resource 112_1 to the first SIM120_1 in operation S130. In operation S140, the baseband processor 110may receive a RF resource request from the second SIM 120_2. That is,the second SIM 120_2 may request RF resources to process a certainchannel received from the second network. The RF resource manager 116may assign the second RF resource 112_2 to the second SIM 120_2 inresponse to the RF resource request from the second SIM 120_2.

When it is impossible to set the DR mode (operation S110, No), theDR/DSDS mode control module 114 may maintain or set the operation modeof the multi-SIM device to be the DSDS mode in operation S160 and mayassign the first RF resource 112_1 to the first SIM 120_1 in operationS170. In operation S180, the baseband processor 110 may receive the RFresource request from the second SIM 120_2. Since the multi-SIM devicecurrently operates in the DSDS mode and the first RF resource 112_1 isassigned to the first SIM 120_1, the RF resource manager 116 may rejectthe RF resource request from the second SIM 120_2 in operation S190.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing in detail operation S110 of FIG. 4,according to an embodiment. Hereinafter, the embodiment of FIG. 5 willbe described with reference to FIG. 2.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 5, to perform operation S110 (FIG. 4), theDR/DSDS mode control module 114 may determine whether RF resource userequest intervals of the first SIM 120_1 and the second SIM 120_2overlap each other, in operation S111. The DR/DSDS mode control module114 may determine whether the RF resource use request interval of thesecond SIM 120_2 overlaps the RF resource use request interval of thefirst SIM 120_1, based on network-related information 132 andinformation regarding the RF resource use request interval included inthe RF resource request from the first SIM 120_1. In detail, when thechannel received by the second SIM 120_2 is a channel having a periodiccharacteristic, the network-related information 132 may includescheduling information regarding the channel received by the second SIM120_2, and the DR/DSDS mode control module 114 may identify in advancethe RF resource use request interval of the second SIM 120_2, based onthe scheduling information.

When the RF resource use request intervals overlap each other (operationS111, Yes), the DR/DSDS mode control module 114 may determine whether itis possible for a RF integrated circuit included in the multi-SIM deviceto support both a frequency band of the channel received by the firstSIM 120_1 and a frequency band of the channel received by the second SIM120_2 at the same time, in operation S112. That is, the RF integratedcircuit included in the multi-SIM device may support a limited number offrequency bands, and accordingly, the multi-SIM device may determinewhether the RF integrated circuit may cover the frequency band of thechannel received by the first SIM 120_1 and the frequency band of thechannel received by the second SIM 120_2. Information regardingfrequency bands supportable by the RF integrated circuit may be storedin the memory 130 in advance, and the network-related information 132may further include information regarding the frequency band of thechannel received by the first SIM 120_1 and the frequency band of thechannel received by the second SIM 120_2. The DR/DSDS mode controlmodule 114 may perform operation S112 based on the information stored inthe memory 130.

When the RF integrated circuit may simultaneously support the frequencybands (operation S112, Yes), the DR/DSDS mode control module 114 maydetermine whether the channel configurations may be simultaneouslyprocessed by using the first RF resource 112_1 and the second RFresource 112_2 of the baseband processor 110, in operation S113. Whenthe first RF resource 112_1 and the second RF resource 112_2 arerespectively assigned to the first SIM 120_1 and the second SIM 120_2,the DR/DSDS mode control module 114 may determine whether the channelreceived by the first SIM 120_1 and the channel received by the secondSIM 120_2 may be processed. For example, when the channel received bythe first SIM 120_1 is a DCH and the channel received by the second SIM120_2 is a DCH, processing the DCH may be supported only by the first RFresource 112_1, and thus the channels received by the first SIM 120_1and the second SIM 120_2 may not be simultaneously processed in thebaseband processor 110. Also, when the channel received by the first SIM120_1 is a DCH and the channel received by the second SIM 120_2 is a PCHor a BCH, processing the DCH may be supported by the first RF resource112_1 and processing the PCH or the BCH may be supported by the secondRF resource 112_2, and thus, the channels may be simultaneouslyprocessed in the baseband processor 110. The DR/DSDS mode control module114 may perform operation S113 based on the channel configurationinformation regarding the first SIM 120_1 and the channel configurationinformation regarding the second SIM 120_2, both of which are includedin the network-related information 132.

When the channel configurations may be simultaneously processed in thebaseband processor 110 (operation S113, Yes), operation S120 (FIG. 4)may be performed, and when any one of operations S111 to S113 is No,operation S160 (FIG. 4) may be performed.

An order of performing operations S111 to S113 of FIG. 5 is merely anexample, and one or more embodiments are not limited thereto. The orderof performing operations S111 to S113 of FIG. 5 may vary. Someoperations except operation S111 may be omitted, or other operations maybe added.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a multi-SIM device 100′ for explainingoperation S112 of FIG. 5.

Referring to FIG. 6, the multi-SIM device 100′ may further include a RFintegrated circuit 140 in comparison with the multi-SIM device 100 ofFIG. 1. A structure of the multi-SIM device 100′ other than the RFintegrated circuit 140 is the same as in FIG. 1 and is described withreference to FIG. 1, and thus the detailed descriptions thereof will beomitted for conciseness. The RF integrated circuit 140 may include afirst carrier component (CC1) 141 and a second carrier component (CC2)142. The first and second carrier components 141 and 142 may beconnected to antennas AT (or antenna arrays) for supporting beamforming. Each of the first and second carrier components 141 and 142 mayreceive a channel having a certain frequency band. In an embodiment, afrequency band supported by the first carrier component 141 may be thesame as or different from that supported by the second carrier component142.

The baseband processor 110 may determine whether the first channel 12may be received from the first base station 10 and the second channel 22may be received from the second base station 20 through the first andsecond carrier components 141 and 142 of the RF integrated circuit 140.When it is possible to receive the first channel 12 and the secondchannel 22 through the first and second carrier components 141 and 142of the RF integrated circuit 140, the baseband processor 110 may notperform operation S112 (FIG. 5). In other words, the baseband processor110 may primarily determine whether it is possible to set the DR mode byusing hardware characteristics of the RF integrated circuit 140, ratherthan information stored in memory as described above with reference tooperation S112. The structure of the RF integrated circuit 140 of FIG. 6is merely an example, and one or more embodiments are not limitedthereto. The RF integrated circuit 140 may include more or fewer carriercomponents.

FIG. 7 is a table TB for explaining a method of setting a main SIM and asub-SIM, according to an embodiment. Hereinafter, the embodiment of FIG.7 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 and assuming that themulti-SIM device is included in a WCDMA system.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 7, the RF resource manager 116 may set any oneof the first SIM 120_1 and the second SIM 120_2 as a main SIM and theother thereof as a sub-SIM, based on channel configuration informationregarding a channel between the first SIM 120_1 and the first networkand channel configuration information regarding a channel between thesecond SIM 120_2 and the second network, both of which are included inthe network-related information 132 of the memory 130.

Referring to the table TB, in a first case (case 1), when the channelbetween the first SIM 120_1 and the first network is a DCH and thechannel between the second SIM 120_2 and the second network is a PCH,the RF resource manager 116 may set the first SIM 120_1 as the main SIMand the second SIM 120_2 as the sub-SIM. In a second case (case 2), whenthe channel between the first SIM 120_1 and the first network is a DCHand the channel between the second SIM 120_2 and the second network is aPCH or a BCH, the RF resource manager 116 may set the first SIM 120_1 asthe main SIM and the second SIM 120_2 as the sub-SIM. That is, the RFresource manager 116 may set, as the main SIM, an SIM using a channel(e.g., a DCH) having a non-periodic characteristic and assign the firstRF resource 112_1 thereto, and may set, as the sub-SIM, an SIM using achannel (e.g., a PCH, a BCH, etc.) having a periodic characteristic andassign the second RF resource 112_2 thereto.

Third to sixth cases (case 3 to case 6) indicate setting the main SIMand the sub-SIM when the channel between the first SIM 120_1 and thefirst network and the channel between the second SIM 120_2 and thesecond network have periodic characteristics. In the third to sixthcases (case 3 to case 6), the RF resource manager 116 may set any one ofthe first SIM 120_1 and the second SIM 120_2 as the main SIM and theother thereof as the sub-SIM based on scheduling information regardingchannels which is included in the network-related information 132.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams for explaining in detail a method ofsetting a main SIM and a sub-SIM, according to an embodiment.Hereinafter, the embodiments of FIGS. 8A and 8B will be described withreference to FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 8A, the first SIM (SIM1) 120_1 may be in a connectionmode, and the second SIM (SIM2) 120_2 may be in an idle mode. The secondSIM 120_2 may receive a periodic channel periodic_CH in a wake-up statefrom a first point in time t1 to a second point in time t2. At thesecond point in time t2, a state of the second SIM 120_2 may be changedto a sleep state and at the same time, may update, in the memory 130,scheduling information regarding a periodic channel periodic_CH whichincludes information regarding a fourth point in time t4 of a wake-upstate of a next second SIM 120_2 and information regarding a periodduring which the wake-up state is to be maintained. For example, whenthe periodic channel periodic_CH is a PCH, the scheduling informationmay include discontinuous reception (DRX) periodic information.

In the connection mode, the first SIM 120_1 is to receive a non-periodicchannel Non_periodic_CH from a third point in time t3, and at this pointin time, RF resource assignment may be performed for the first SIM120_1. When a RF resource assignment request is received from the firstSIM 120_1, the RF resource manager 116 may detect in advance an intervalOR_INT, when the RF resource use request intervals of the first SIM120_1 and the second SIM 120_2 overlap each other, based on thenetwork-related information 132 of the memory 130, set the first SIM120_1 as the main SIM at the third point in time t3, assign the first RFresource 112_1 thereto, and set the second SIM 120_2 as the sub-SIM. Thefirst SIM 120_1 may process a non-periodic channel Non_periodic_CH fromthe third point in time t3, by using the first RF resource 112_1.

Then, when the state of the second SIM 120_2 is changed to the wake-upstate at the fourth point in time t4, the RF manager 116 may assign thesecond RF resource 112_2 to the second SIM 120_2. The second SIM 120_2may use the second RF resource 112_2 to process the periodic channelperiodic_CH from the fourth point in time t4.

Referring to FIG. 8B, the first SIM 120_1 may be in the idle mode, andthe second SIM 120_2 may also be in the idle mode. The second SIM 120_2may receive the periodic channel periodic_CH in the wake-up state fromthe first point in time t1 to the second point in time t2. At the secondpoint in time t2, the state of the second SIM 120_2 may be changed tothe sleep state, and at the same time, scheduling information regardingthe periodic channel periodic_CH, which includes information regarding asixth point in time t6 of the wake-up state of a next second SIM 120_2and information regarding a period during which the wake-up state is tobe maintained, may be updated to the memory 130.

In the idle mode, the first SIM 120_1 may receive the periodic channelperiodic_CH in the wake-up state from the third point in time t3 to thefourth point in time t4. At the fourth point in time t4, the state ofthe first SIM 120_1 may be changed to the sleep state, and at the sametime, scheduling information, which includes information regarding thefifth point in time t5 of the wake-up state of a next first SIM 120_1and information regarding a period when the wake-up state is to bemaintained, may be updated to the memory 130.

The first SIM 120_1 may receive the periodic channel periodic_CH fromthe fifth point in time t5, and at this point in time, a RF resource maybe assigned to the first SIM 120_1. When the RF resource assignmentrequest is received from the first SIM 120_1, the RF resource manager116 may use the network-related information 132 of the memory 130 andmay detect in advance the interval OR_INT when the RF resource userequest intervals of the first SIM 120_1 and the second SIM 120_2overlap. The RF resource manager 116 may use the network-relatedinformation 132 to identify that a wake-up timing (the fifth point intime t5) of the first SIM 120_1 is earlier than a wake-up timing (thesixth point in time t6) of the second SIM 120_2, and accordingly, the RFresource manager 116 may set the first SIM 120_1 as the main SIM and thesecond SIM 120_2 as the sub-SIM.

The first SIM 120_1 may process the periodic channel periodic_CH fromthe fifth point in time t5 by using the first RF resource 112_1, and thesecond SIM 120_2 may process the periodic channel periodic_CH from thesixth point in time t6 by using the second RF resource 112_2.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining operations of the multi-SIM device100, according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 9, it is assumed thatthe multi-SIM device 100 operates in the DR mode, the first SIM 120_1 isset as the main SIM, the first RF resource 112_1 is assigned to thefirst SIM 120_1, the second SIM 120_2 is set as the sub-SIM, and thesecond RF resource 112_2 is assigned to the second SIM 120_2.

Referring to FIG. 9 the first SIM 120_1 may receive and process aperiodic channel or a non-periodic channel from the first base station10 by using the first RF resource 112_1, and the second SIM 120_2 mayreceive and process a periodic channel from the second base station 20by using the second RF resource 112_2.

Since the first SIM 120_1 processes the periodic channel or thenon-periodic channel by using the first RF resource 112_2 while thesecond SIM 120_2 is processing the periodic channel by using the secondRF resource 112_2, the idle mode with the second base station 20 of thesecond network may be maintained, and in the idle mode, the second SIM120_2 may perform reselection to change the second base station 20 to athird base station 30, handover operation, and the like.

Compared to the first RF resource 112_1, the second RF resource 112_2according to an embodiment has advantages in terms of manufacturingcosts and power consumption, and the communication performance of themulti-SIM device 100 may be secured at at least a threshold level byperforming an operation of maintaining the connection between the secondSIM 120_2 and the second network by using the second RF resource 112_2.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining an operation of maintaining the DRmode, according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explainingoperation S220 of FIG. 10 in detail. Hereinafter, the embodiments ofFIGS. 10 and 11 will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 10, after operation S120 (FIG. 4), the basebandprocessor 110 may update the channel configuration information of thefirst SIM 120_1 and the channel configuration information of the secondSIM 120_2 in operation S200. In operation S210, the baseband processor110 may receive the RF resource assignment request from the second SIM120_2. In operation S220, the DR/DSDS mode control module 114 maydetermine whether it is possible to maintain the DR mode based on theupdated channel configuration information.

For example, referring further to FIG. 11, the multi-SIM device mayoperate in the DR mode, the first SIM 120_1 may be set as the main SIM,the first RF resource 112_1 may be assigned to the first SIM 120_1, thesecond SIM 120_2 may be set as the sub-SIM, and the second RF resource112_2 may be assigned to the second SIM 120_2. The first SIM 120_1 mayprocess the non-periodic channel Non_periodic_CH by using the first RFresource 112_1 from the first point in time t1. The second SIM 120_2 mayprocess the periodic channel periodic_CH by using the second RF resource112_2 from the second point in time t2 to the third point in time t3. Atthe fourth point in time t4, the second SIM 120_2 may receive thenon-periodic channel Non_periodic_CH, and the channel configurationinformation regarding the second SIM 120_2 may be updated. The DR/DSDSmode control module 114 may determine whether it is possible to maintainthe DR mode based on the updated channel configuration information.Referring to FIG. 11, after the fourth point in time t4, both the firstSIM 120_1 and the second SIM 120_2 receive the non-periodic channelsNon_periodic_CH, and thus, the multi-SIM device may not operate in theDR mode. In this case, the DR/DSDS mode control module 114 may determinethat it is impossible for the multi-SIM device to maintain the DR modeand may control the multi-SIM device to be in the DSDS mode.

Referring back to FIG. 10, when it is possible to maintain the DR mode(operation S220, Yes), the DR/DSDS mode control module 114 may controlthe multi-SIM device to maintain the DR mode in operation S230. When itis impossible to maintain the DR mode (operation S220, No), the DR/DSDSmode control module 114 may control the multi-SIM device to be in theDSDS mode from the DR mode.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram for explaining in detail structures of afirst RF resource 200_1 and a second RF resource 200_2, according to anembodiment. Hereinafter, the first RF resource 200_1 and the second RFresource 200_2 of FIG. 12 are applied to a WCDMA system, but this ismerely an example. The first RF resource 200_1 and the second RFresource 200_2 are not limited thereto and may be realized to be appliedto various communication systems.

Referring to FIG. 12, the first RF resource 200_1 may include a firstlake processing circuit 210_1, a first deinterleaver 220_1, and a firstdecoder 230_1, and the second RF resource 200_2 may include a secondlake processing circuit 210_2, a second deinterleaver 220_2, and asecond decoder 230_2. In an embodiment, the structure of the first RFresource 200_1 may differ from that of the second RF resource 200_2, thefirst RF resource 200_1 may support the use of a non-limited channelconfiguration, and the second RF resource 200_2 may support the use of alimited channel configuration. Thus, the complexity of the structure ofthe first RF resource 200_1 may be greater than a complexity of thestructure of the second RF resource 200_2.

The first lake processing circuit 210_1 may include first to K^(th)fingers 212 a_1 to 212 a_K and first to M^(th) combines 214 a_1 to 214a_M, and the first deinterleaver 220_1 may include first to P^(th)deinterleaver circuits 222 a_1 to 222 a_P. The second lake processingcircuit 210_2 may include first to J^(th) fingers 212 b_1 to 212 b_J andfirst to L^(th) combines 214 b_1 to 214 b_L. The second deinterleaver220_2 may include first to N^(th) deinterleaver circuits 222 b_1 to 222b_N.

The first lake processing circuit 210_1 of the first RF resource 200_1may include a larger number of fingers and combines than the second lakeprocessing circuit 210_2 so as to receive and process a larger numberand a variety of channels than the second RF resource 200_2. The firstdeinterleaver 220_1 may include more deinterleaver circuits than thesecond deinterleaver 220_2. Also, the first decoder 230_1 may decode agreat amount of data compared to the second decoder 230_2.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a multi-SIM device 300 according to anembodiment.

Referring to FIG. 13, the multi-SIM device 300 may include a basebandprocessor 210, first to G^(th) SIMs 220_1 to 220_G, and a memory 230.The baseband processor 210 may include first to G^(th) RF resources212_1 to 212_G. The first to G^(th) RF resources 212_1 to 212_G areassigned to any one of the first to G^(th) SIMs 220_1 to 220_G and maysupport the use of a non-limited channel configuration or a limitedchannel configuration according to RRC protocols. For example, the firstRF resource 212_1 may support the use of the non-limited channelconfiguration, and the second to G^(th) RF resources 212_2 to 212_G maysupport the use of the limited channel configuration.

When RF resource request intervals of at least two target SIMs among thefirst to G^(th) SIMs 220_1 to 220_G overlap each other, the basebandprocessor 210 may assign some of the first to G^(th) RF resources 212_1to 212_G to the target SIMs of the first to G^(th) SIMS 220_1 to 220_Gbased on information regarding networks respectively corresponding tothe target SIMs and thus may simultaneously support the non-limitedchannel configuration and the limited channel configuration. In detail,the first RF resource 212_1 may be assigned to target SIMs, which handlenon-periodic channels among the target SIMs, to support the use of thenon-limited channel configuration, and the second RF resource 212_2 maybe assigned to other target SIMs to support the use of the limitedchannel configuration.

In addition, as another embodiment, the first RF resource 212_1 may beassigned to a target SIM having a faster wake-up timing than othertarget SIMs in the idle mode to support the use of the non-limitedchannel configuration, and the second RF resource 212_2 may be assignedto other target SIMs to support the use of the limited channelconfiguration.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram of an electronic device 1000 according to anembodiment.

Referring to FIG. 14, the electronic device 1000 may include a memory1010, a processor unit 1020, an input/output controller 1040, a display1050, an input device 1060, and a communication processor 1090. Here, aplurality of memories 1010 may be included. Each component is describedas follows.

The memory 1010 may include a program storage 1011 storing a program forcontrolling the operation of the electronic device 1000 and a datastorage 1012 storing data generated while the program is executed. Thedata storage 1012 may store data to execute an application program 1013and a DR/DSDS mode control program 1014. The program storage 1011 mayinclude the application program 1013 and the DR/DSDS mode controlprogram 1014. The programs included in the program storage 1011 may beexpressed as an instruction set.

The application program 1013 includes application programs executed inthe electronic device 1000. That is, the application program 1013 mayinclude commands of an application executed by a processor 1022. TheDR/DSDS mode control program 1014 may control the operation ofdetermining the DR mode and the assignment of RF resources supportingthe use of the non-limited/limited channel configuration. That is, theelectronic device 1000 may assign the RF resources supporting theoperation of determining the DR mode and the use of thenon-limited/limited channel configuration through the DR/DSDS modecontrol program 1014.

A peripheral device interface 1023 may control the connection of theprocessor 1022 and the memory interface 1021 with input/outputperipheral devices of a base station. The processor 1022 controls theelectronic device 1000 to provide a service by using at least onesoftware program. In this case, the processor 1022 may provide a servicecorresponding to the program by executing at least one program stored inthe memory 1010. Also, the processor 1022 may include RF resources RFRSs supporting the use of the non-limited/limited channel configurationaccording to embodiments.

The input/output controller 1040 may provide an interface between theperipheral device interface 1023 and an input/output device such as thedisplay 1050 and the input device 1060. The display 1050 displays stateinformation, input texts, a moving picture, a still picture, or thelike. For example, the display 1050 may display information regarding anapplication executed by the processor 1022.

The input device 1060 may provide the processor unit 1020 with inputdata generated due to the selection of the electronic device 1000,through the input/output controller 1040. In this case, the input device1060 may include a keypad including at least one hardware button, atouch pad detecting touch information, and the like. For example, theinput device 1060 may provide the processor 1022 with touch informationsuch as a touch detected by the touch pad, a touch movement, and touchrelease, through the input/output controller 1040.

The electronic device 1000 may include the communication processor 1090performing a communication function for voice/data communication, and inaccordance with the assignment of the RF resources RF_RSs, the DR/DSDSmode control program 1014 may control the communication processor 1090to receive a channel from the base station.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing communication devices performing operationof determining transmission/reception beam patterns.

Referring to FIG. 15, home gadgets 2100, home appliances 2120,entertainment devices 2140, and an access point (AP) 2200 may includethe wireless communication device according to one or more embodimentsand may set the DR mode or perform the assignment of RF resources. Insome embodiments, the home gadgets 2100, the home appliances 2120, theentertainment devices 2140, and the AP 2200 may form an IoT networksystem. Communication devices shown in FIG. 15 are merely examples, andit will be understood that other communication devices that are notshown in FIG. 15 may include wireless communication devices according toone or more embodiments.

While the inventive concept has been particularly shown and describedwith reference to embodiments thereof, it will be understood thatvarious changes in form and details may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A multi-subscriber identification module (SIM)device comprising: a first SIM configured to use a first service of afirst network; a second SIM configured to use a second service of asecond network; a first radio frequency (RF) resource configured tosupport use of a non-limited channel configuration according to a radioresource control (RRC) protocol; a second RF resource configured tosupport use of a limited channel configuration according to the RRCprotocol; and a baseband processor configured to: selectively assign thefirst RF resource and the second RF resource to the first SIM and thesecond SIM, based on information regarding the first network and thesecond network, select a mode among a dual radio (DR) mode and a dualsim dual standby (DSDS) mode based on the information when a first RFresource use request interval of the first SIM overlaps a second RFresource use request interval of the second SIM, and control themulti-SIM device to operate in the mode that is selected, wherein thebaseband processor is further configured to, based on the DR mode beingselected, set a main SIM and a sub-SIM by using the first SIM and thesecond SIM, assign the first RF resource to the main SIM, and assign thesecond RF resource to the sub-SIM.
 2. The multi-SIM device of claim 1,wherein a first structure of the first RF resource is different from asecond structure of the second RF resource.
 3. The multi-SIM device ofclaim 1, wherein the first RF resource is further configured to supportprocessing a first channel that a first assigned SIM of the first SIMand the second SIM, which is assigned to the first RF resource, handlesin an idle mode and a second channel used to maintain a networkconnection mode, and the second RF resource is further configured tosupport processing a third channel that a second assigned SIM of thefirst SIM and the second SIM, which is assigned to the second RFresource, handles in the idle mode.
 4. The multi-SIM device of claim 1,wherein the information comprises at least one of first channelconfiguration information regarding a first channel between the firstnetwork and the first SIM, first scheduling information regarding thefirst channel, second channel configuration information regarding asecond channel between the second network and the second SIM, and secondscheduling information regarding the second channel.
 5. The multi-SIMdevice of claim 1, wherein the baseband processor is further configuredto set the main SIM and the sub-SIM based on first periodic/non-periodiccharacteristics of a first channel between the first network and thefirst SIM and second periodic/non-periodic characteristics of a secondchannel between the second network and the second SIM.
 6. The multi-SIMdevice of claim 1, wherein the baseband processor is further configuredto set the main SIM and the sub-SIM based on first schedulinginformation of a first channel between the first network and the firstSIM, and second scheduling information of a second channel between thesecond network and the second SIM.
 7. The multi-SIM device of claim 1,wherein the main SIM is configured to perform a first operation with thefirst network by using the first RF resource, and the sub-SIM isconfigured to perform a second operation with the second network byusing the second RF resource.
 8. The multi-SIM device of claim 1,further comprising a memory configured to store first informationregarding the first network that is obtained from the first SIM andsecond information regarding the second network that is obtained fromthe second SIM, the first information and the second information beingaccessible by the baseband processor.
 9. A multi-subscriberidentification module (SIM) device comprising: a first SIM configured touse a first service of a first network; a second SIM configured to use asecond service of a second network; a first radio frequency (RF)resource configured to support use of a non-limited channelconfiguration according to a radio resource control (RRC) protocol; asecond RF resource configured to support use of a limited channelconfiguration according to the RRC protocol; and a baseband processorconfigured to: selectively assign the first RF resource and the secondRF resource to the first SIM and the second SIM, based on informationregarding the first network and the second network, select a mode amonga dual radio (DR) mode and a dual sim dual standby (DSDS) mode based onthe information when a first RF resource use request interval of thefirst SIM overlaps a second RF resource use request interval of thesecond SIM, and control the multi-SIM device to operate in the mode thatis selected, wherein, based on the DSDS mode being selected, thebaseband processor is further configured to assign the first RF resourceto one of the first SIM and the second SIM.
 10. A multi-subscriberidentification module (SIM) device comprising: a first SIM configured touse a first service of a first network; a second SIM configured to use asecond service of a second network; a first radio frequency (RF)resource configured to support use of a non-limited channelconfiguration according to a radio resource control (RRC) protocol; asecond RF resource configured to support use of a limited channelconfiguration according to the RRC protocol; and a baseband processorconfigured to: selectively assign the first RF resource and the secondRF resource to the first SIM and the second SIM, based on informationregarding the first network and the second network, select a mode amonga dual radio (DR) mode and a dual sim dual standby (DSDS) mode based onthe information when a first RF resource use request interval of thefirst SIM overlaps a second RF resource use request interval of thesecond SIM, and control the multi-SIM device to operate in the mode thatis selected, wherein, based on the first RF resource use requestinterval not overlapping the second RF resource use request interval-,the baseband processor is further configured to control the multi-SIMdevice to operate in the DSDS mode.